As Alabama’s football program has reasserted itself as a national power in recent years, the coaching carousel has made stops in Tuscaloosa several times, including one this off-season. UA’s assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri left the program to fill the defensive coordinator spot for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Sunseri became the second Alabama coach to leave after the championship season. He followed former offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who recently accepted his first head coaching job at Colorado State. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was rumored to have been a candidate for the now-filled head coaching vacancies at Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M and North Carolina.

Sunseri left a big footprint on the Crimson Tide program – he coached 2011 BCS National Championship Game Defensive MVP Courtney Upshaw and Jerrell Harris, who added seven tackles against LSU on Jan. 9. Harris was also key in shutting down the option attack run by Jordan Jefferson that had some success in the Nov. 5 meeting.

“Sal is an outstanding coach and really did an excellent job with each and every responsibility he had while he was here at the University of Alabama,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said in a statement. “Although we hate to see Sal go, we understand this is an opportunity for him to grow in this profession and take on the role of defensive coordinator.”

Sunseri was named Recruiter of the Year by recruiting website 247Sports.com, and in the recruiting class of 2011, Sunseri plucked Trey Depriest away from the home-state Ohio State Buckeyes, paving the way for the Tide to collect the No. 1 recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports.com and Rivals.com.

One example of Sunseri’s recruiting prowess was the signing of Reggie Ragland, four-star linebacker in the Class of 2012 from Madison, Ala. When Ragland learned about Sunseri leaving for Tennessee, Ragland tweeted, “He will always be my favorite coach. I understand what he had to do, it’s just business.”

In another tweet, Ragland addressed accusations of ill feelings toward Sunseri for leaving Alabama for a rival.

“All these people saying I’m mad about Coach Sal leaving, I’m not mad,” he tweeted. “I’m happy for him and his [family]. He did what he had to do so Coach, good luck!!!”

In a statement, Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley applauded Sunseri for all he could bring to the Volunteers’ program.

“Sal has had unparalleled success over the last decade in not only contributing to team and unit success, but also in his ability to motivate and develop elite individual talent,” Dooley said. “His combination of defensive knowledge, recruiting success, high-energy personality, ability to connect with players and personal integrity and character make him an exceptional fit for Tennessee.”

Sunseri’s departure put his youngest son, Vinnie, in a tough situation. Vinnie, who just completed his freshman season with the Tide as a key special teams player and defensive reserve, released a statement after Tennessee officials officially announced Sal Sunseri as their next defensive coordinator.

“I love my dad, this is a great opportunity and I’m really happy for him,” Vinnie Sunseri said. “In terms of my status, the University of Alabama is the place for me and that is what my heart and my mind tells me. This is my home and there is no place else I’d rather be. I’ll root for him every day of the year except for the Third Saturday in October.”